Nan Benally

Nan Benally (Diné) serves as the Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court TTA Specialist for the TLPI’s Tribal Youth Resource Center. Nan has spent a lifetime acquiring experience around passionate and purposeful people. The constant and driving passion for Nan has been in the world of research – the desire to learn, the desire to explore and the desire to create. Coupled with her passion in bringing healing to people who have been through traumatic/stressful events has guided her research in the areas of social justice. Utilizing her role as a researcher has created outcomes of direct application and influence in resolving concrete problems and meeting community-based needs, transforming the status quo of institutions and challenging stakeholders in addressing these issues collaboratively, leading to a multidisciplinary commitment to enact change. Through her experience and education, Nan has gained training in various therapeutic treatment modalities, had the opportunity to participate and present her work in professional venues and engendered community networks and alliances for the support and fulfillment of project goals. These experiences have enhanced her skills in interpersonal communications, professional style, and commitment to the ethical standards of practice to envision the power of bringing purpose into the people equation while promoting equity, balance, and productivity in her work. Nan has utilized her background in areas of social justice in helping to create outcomes of direct application and influence in resolving concrete problems and meeting community-based needs, transforming the status quo of institutions and challenging stakeholders in addressing these issues collaboratively, leading to a multidisciplinary commitment to enact change. Nan has continued her passion for learning and has her Master of Counseling degree from Arizona State University. She continues to work on her doctoral degree and pathways toward professional licensure. She is a member of the Dine’ Tribal Nation. Her membership in professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association, the Society of Indian Psychologists of the Americas, National Congress of American Indians, and Alpha Pi Omega reinforces her ties to remain abreast of evolving trends and to continually develop her professional alliances as a unique network base to push forth the collective voices of change.